“Some of this infrastructure has been put in with the assumption that permafrost will remain relatively stable, and if it does degrade, there will be consequences for maintenance or replacement of infrastructure,” says UAF researcher David McGuire.

Nome resident Caitlin Tozier recently traveled halfway around the world to be an ambassador for Inupiaq culture. In Caen, France, she demonstrated Alaska Native games and culture during the American Normandy Festival.